Oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, and polonium are members of the Oxygen Family, which is the 16th group and periods 2-6. The elements in the Oxygen family include gasses, solids, nonmetals, metalloids, and radioactive metals. The Oxygen family is also called the chalcogens which translates to the ore formers because many of these elements are mixed in with metals in nature. As for physical properties, they are all found naturally in the environment, in the outermost layer of the cloud and there are 6 electrons. A chemical property of the Oxygen Family are that sulfur and oxygen are common elements in the natural world.
Symbol: O
Atomic Number: 8
Atomic Mass: 15.999
Oxygen is a gas. It's colorless and odorless. It has a melting point of -360F and a boiling point of -297F. It is the most common element in the natural world. Oxygen is used in medicine and rocketry. Also, oxygen is needed by all living things. Humans can't go any more than a few minutes without oxygen.
Symbol: S
Atomic Number: 16
Atomic Mass: 32.06
Sulfur is a solid. It's a nonmetallic element that can exist in many forms of other elements. It's a bright yellow element. Alone, sulfur is odorless. It has a melting point of 239F. Sulfur is used in insecticides and fungicides as well as matches, fireworks, and gunpowder. It's the sixteenth most common element in the natural world.
Symbol: Se
Atomic Number: 34
Atomic Mass: 78.96
Selenium is a rare element. It's in the bottom ten percent of common elements in the natural world along with tellurium. It appears as a red powder, though it turns black when exposed to air. It's melting point is 423F and the boiling point is 1265F. Selenium's primary uses are in electronic devices and when manufacturing glass.
Symbol: Te
Atomic Number: 52
Atomic Mass: 127.60
Tellurium is in the bottom ten percent of common elements found in the natural world. It appears in copper and other ores. Some tellurium is used in colored glass, but most of it is in the ore business. It's one of the by-products of copper.
Symbol: Po
Atomic Number: 84
Atomic Mass: 209
Polonium is radioactive. It has 27 isotopes. It's the rarest element on earth, down to the millionth percents of elements found on earth. It tends to appear in uranium ores. Polonium was discovered by Marie Curies and named it after her home, Poland.
By: Claudia Stoll and Liz Fennewald
Oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, and polonium are members of the Oxygen Family, which is the 16th group and periods 2-6. The elements in the Oxygen family include gasses, solids, nonmetals, metalloids, and radioactive metals. The Oxygen family is also called the chalcogens which translates to the ore formers because many of these elements are mixed in with metals in nature. As for physical properties, they are all found naturally in the environment, in the outermost layer of the cloud and there are 6 electrons. A chemical property of the Oxygen Family are that sulfur and oxygen are common elements in the natural world.
Symbol: O
Atomic Number: 8
Atomic Mass: 15.999
Oxygen is a gas. It's colorless and odorless. It has a melting point of -360F and a boiling point of -297F. It is the most common element in the natural world. Oxygen is used in medicine and rocketry. Also, oxygen is needed by all living things. Humans can't go any more than a few minutes without oxygen.
Symbol: S
Atomic Number: 16
Atomic Mass: 32.06
Sulfur is a solid. It's a nonmetallic element that can exist in many forms of other elements. It's a bright yellow element. Alone, sulfur is odorless. It has a melting point of 239F. Sulfur is used in insecticides and fungicides as well as matches, fireworks, and gunpowder. It's the sixteenth most common element in the natural world.
Symbol: Se
Atomic Number: 34
Atomic Mass: 78.96
Selenium is a rare element. It's in the bottom ten percent of common elements in the natural world along with tellurium. It appears as a red powder, though it turns black when exposed to air. It's melting point is 423F and the boiling point is 1265F. Selenium's primary uses are in electronic devices and when manufacturing glass.
Symbol: Te
Atomic Number: 52
Atomic Mass: 127.60
Tellurium is in the bottom ten percent of common elements found in the natural world. It appears in copper and other ores. Some tellurium is used in colored glass, but most of it is in the ore business. It's one of the by-products of copper.
Atomic Number: 84
Atomic Mass: 209
Polonium is radioactive. It has 27 isotopes. It's the rarest element on earth, down to the millionth percents of elements found on earth. It tends to appear in uranium ores. Polonium was discovered by Marie Curies and named it after her home, Poland.
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